Many individuals can have trouble sleeping when the ambient temperature is too high or too low. For example, when it is very hot, the individual may be unable to achieve the comfort required to fall asleep. Additional tossing and turning by the individual may result in an increased body temperature, further exasperating the problem. The use of a conventional air conditioning system may be impractical due to the cost of operating the air conditioner, a noise associated with the air conditioner, or the lack of an air conditioner altogether. A fan may also be impractical due to noise or mere re-circulation of hot air. Of the above mentioned alternatives, all fail in their ability to directly remove or eliminate excess body heat from the bedding surface to body interface or, as conditions may require, add supplemental heating. Also, research indicates that varying an individual's temperature during the sleep process can facilitate and/or improve the quality of sleep.